Take It All Away
by doodleswriter357
Summary: Eight year olds Artie and Kurt meet and become friends at a hospital, both struggling with major changes in their lives. Pre-Pilot. Friendship fic.
1. Prologue

_Wal-Mart - Lima, Ohio December 2001_

"Mom, can I please sit in the front seat? Please, please, please, please?" Eight year old Artie Abrams pleaded with his mother as they stood in the checkout line at the supermarket. Cathy Abrams sighed and glanced at her watch, anxious for the woman in front of her to finish loading her purchases onto the conveyor belt. She still had to stop by the bank and cash a check, as well as pick up Artie's older brother from a karate lesson before actually getting home. She had only brought Artie along so that he wouldn't be a hassle on his older sister who was babysitting her six month old sister while Mrs. Abrams was out running errands.

"All right fine Artie, but you have to promise not to bug me about anything else then," his mother replied with slight exasperation at his insistent badgering.

"Yes!" he half whispered to himself, jumping up and down a few times out of excitement. He couldn't wait to tell all the kids at school that _he_ got to ride in the front seat. He would be the coolest kid in the class for sure. Soon enough, the Abrams were checked out, and headed to their car. Artie helped his mother load the bags into the back of the car, and then happily skipped to the front of the car, slipping and almost falling on a patch of ice.

"Careful Artie," his mother admonished him lightly.

"I'm all right!" he replied cheerfully, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose. He opened the car door, and slid into the front seat. He stared around almost reverently. There was so much more to see from up here. The backseat was so boring compared to this.

"Buckle up," his mom reminded him as she reached for her own belt. Artie complied, and couldn't help bouncing a few times on the seat. He felt so grown up. He peered out the windshield, almost hoping he saw someone from his class in the parking lot so that he could brag about his seating arrangement. His mom pulled out of the parking lot, and started making her way slowly out of the parking lot, trying to avoid unwary shoppers. As he stared wide-eyed at everything around him, Artie's eye landed on something inside the car; the radio. His older brother and sister, old enough to sit in the front seat, often got to press the buttons and pick whatever music they wanted to listen to. He never got that option, stuck in the backseat. Hesitantly, he reached a finger forward and pushed a button.

Nothing happened.

Brow furrowed, he tried a different one. Still nothing. His mother, noticing his dilemma, reached forward and pressed the correct button that turned the radio on. Artie was then content with pressing various buttons, attempting to find something that he was interested in. Most of the channels were filled with people talking about news, sports, or just commercials. Artie sighed in frustration. He wanted to find something before they picked Brian up; otherwise he might lose his chance at listening to what he wanted to.

They had stopped at a red light when Artie finally found a classic rock station that sounded pretty good. He turned the dial that controlled the volume, only to hear the song playing end, and a commercial start playing. He sighed in defeat, and reached for the button that changed the channel. The light ahead turned green, and his mother started driving forward. Artie glanced up, and something made him look out his side window. A large white van was skidding on ice, and coming straight for them. He heard his mother scream as if from a distance and that was the last thing he remembered before everything when black.

* * *

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 2001_

"Yes, we're here to visit Karen Hummel. Room 216?" Burt Hummel sighed as the receptionist turned to answer a phone call as if he wasn't even standing there. His wife had been admitted last week, and he had brought Kurt up every day to see her. The checking in at the hospital was repetitive but mandatory. Burt glanced down at his son who was standing patiently by his side. The boy's normally perfectly-combed hair was in a bit of disarray and his red top didn't match his green pants. However, he had been so anxious to see his mother that for the first time in Burt's memory, he hadn't argued about what he was wearing.

Kurt had remained rather calm throughout the whole long process of Karen's illness. He had sat for hours in waiting rooms, ate his meals at random hours of the day, and even missed days of school. He hadn't complained or cried as long as he got to see his mother at the end of the day. Burt had found him curled up asleep on his bed with tear streaks on his face more often than once, but Kurt never let his parents see him cry. The only time he had broken down in front of them was when he saw his mother with no hair for the first time.

"Who was it that you wanted to see again?" The receptionist's nasally voice cut through Burt's musing.

"Karen Hummel," he repeated.

"All right. Well they're running some tests right now so you'll have to wait a few minutes. Then you can go up." Burt thanked the woman and led Kurt over to some chairs in the waiting area. The boy curled up on a chair, and stared around the room in disinterest. Burt offered him a magazine but the boy silently shook his head no. They sat there in silence until the receptionist let them know that they could now head up.

The two Hummels walked the now-familiar path to Karen's room, still each absorbed in their own thoughts. They passed by the emergency care rooms on their way to the elevators. Sitting outside one of the rooms was a woman. Hopelessness, despair, and fear were etched into her face, making her look much older than she probably was. She stared into space, not even acknowledging that there were other people in the hallway. She had a scratch on her cheek, and her left hand was bandaged. The expression on her face alone made Burt wanted to say something comforting, but he didn't know why she was even there, and nothing came to his mind. At that point though, they had already passed her and were in front of the elevator. He pushed her out of his mind as he walked into his wife's room on the next floor.

"Mom!" A genuine smile had broken out on Kurt's face as he bounded towards his mothers bed. Karen Hummel sat up and stretched her arms out for her son. She had various machines surrounding her bed, and she looked pale and tired. However, she smiled as brightly as she could as her son climbed into her arms. She glanced up at her husband and exchanged a look with him. He knew what was coming. The doctors had news and it probably wasn't good.

* * *

A floor beneath the Hummels, Cathy Abrams sat outside the hospital room that contained her son. Her son who was currently fighting for his life. Why hadn't she looked both ways? It was her fault that her son was in there, possibly not to wake up. She might never see his bright smile, or his eyes sparkling behind his glasses, or hear his voice again. If he didn't make it out of this, she would never forgive herself.

* * *

_I know this is a little different from what I normally write, but I've had this idea for awhile and I wanted to try it out. This chapter is just establishing how both boys end up in the same place. The next chapter will show them meeting for the first time. Read and review please! _


	2. Meetings

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 2001_

Artie sat in his hospital bed, staring glumly at the television set on the wall in front of him. A cartoon show was on but he wasn't paying any attention to it. It had been a week since the accident and he was still trying to come to terms with what had happened. He had awoken to a strange room that was pitch black except for some blurry, blinking lights somewhere near his head. Most of his body was in a state of pain, and when he tried to get out of the bed, he found that he couldn't move his legs. He couldn't even feel them. Understandably, he had started freaking out, crying and calling out for his parents. He made such a racket that a nurse finally heard him and came in to explain what had happened. She had told him that he had been in a car accident and that he had been badly injured. He had a million questions to ask, but she had pressed a button that caused him to fall asleep against his will.

The next day, his mother arrived at the hospital early in the morning, and ended up breaking down crying as soon as she saw him. The doctor had come in at that point, and explained as simply as he could to Artie what had happened and what the future held. The words _paraplegia,_ _spinal_ _cord_, and _wheelchair_ were all that stood out to Artie. Aside from the paralysis, he had cracked a few ribs and had gotten some rather nasty cuts on his back and chest. The doctor had issued that he stayed in bed for awhile so his injuries could heal. Then they could try out a wheelchair once he was feeling better.

His mother had been at the hospital every single day that week, getting there as soon as they let in visitors and staying until closing time; sometimes even later if the doctors didn't realize she was still there and kick her out. His father and his siblings had come by a couple of the days, although they couldn't spend a lot of time there because his older brother and sister had school, homework, and other activities. They had brought him coloring books, video games, and movies in hopes to help him entertain himself. Nothing seemed to interest him though, and he spent most of his time either lying in the bed thinking, or doing his homework so he wouldn't fall too far behind.

Artie was completely miserable of course, but even after the doctor told him that he would never walk again, he didn't cry or complain. His mother was sitting right there, trying her hardest to hold it together for him. He knew that she blamed herself for it, and he knew that it wasn't. Apparently the driver of the other car had been speeding and not known that there was ice right before the stoplight. He hadn't been able to stop behind the line, and had barreled into the Abrams car. The man walked away with a few scratches and bumps. Artie would never be able to use his legs again. Only once his mother left for the night and he was alone in the room, had he let himself cry.

_Hummel household – Lima, Ohio December 2001_

Burt sat at the kitchen table, head in his hands. Only a week ago he had received the worst news of his life. The doctor had explained that they were stopping treatment on Karen. It was a hopeless case, and she only had three to four weeks left. He wasn't sure how he had managed it; getting Kurt to school, making dinners, and running the shop. Every waking second was consumed with thoughts of his wife, lying there in the hospital bed, her life draining away, and not being able to do anything about it. He hadn't gotten up the courage to tell Kurt yet. On one hand he didn't want to put a time limit on his time left with his mother. On the other hand, he didn't want there to be no warning. Kurt had endured so much already, but he wasn't sure how much more the eight year old could handle.

At 2:30, he left to pick Kurt up from school. They were going to go straight to the hospital to visit with Karen. Since it was a Friday, they didn't have to worry about Kurt going to school the next day, or him having to work on homework. On the ride to the hospital, Kurt was unnaturally quiet. Even with the current circumstances, he would usually be talking about his day and what interesting things had happened in his class. Today however, he was silent. Burt glanced in the rearview mirror at the brown haired boy in the backseat.

"So, um did anything interesting happen in school today Kurt?" he asked.

"Not really," came Kurt's quiet reply. "Hey Dad? I have a question."

"Yeah?" Burt asked hesitantly. He really hoped that Kurt wasn't going to touch on the subject of his mother.

"What's wrong with Mom? You haven't really talked about her this week and you usually do."

No such luck there. Burt cleared his throat and cast around for a delicate way to approach the subject.

"You know what buddy? Why don't we wait till we see her? Then we can talk some more. That sound good?" Burt met Kurt's solemn gaze in the mirror. The boy nodded then turned his attention to looking out the window. Burt sighed deeply. His son wasn't an idiot. He had to know that something was up. He just wasn't looking forward to letting him know what it was.

* * *

"So I think that if you are careful enough, we can try out that wheelchair tomorrow. How does that sound, Arthur?"

Artie's doctor glanced inquiringly at him over his clipboard. Artie had slightly zoned out when Dr. Berenson had come in and started talking to his mother about the progression of his injuries. He had been using a lot of big medical terms that didn't make any sense to Artie, so he had contented himself with staring at the man in fascination. He had never seen someone with hair in their _ears _before. When the doctor looked right at him though, he realized that a reply was expected of him and he nodded quickly.

"Good. The hospital will provide him a wheelchair for the time being so he can get some practice in. I think that is all. Good day." He nodded at Mrs. Abrams who thanked him as he walked out.

"A wheelchair honey. Should be interesting to get to know how to use that, huh?" Cathy said, brushing a piece of hair out of Artie's face.

"Sure Mom, it'll be….fun. I guess," Artie replied, his voice trailing off as he pondered the advantages and disadvantages of a wheelchair. He had only seen old people in wheelchairs before. Kids his age didn't use them. They just didn't have to. He knew that a wheelchair would be inevitable, but he hadn't really thought about it. How would he be able to go anywhere that wasn't a flat surface now? His dad had said that he would take Artie hiking. That was before the accident though, and there was no way that they could push a wheelchair through the woods. School would be difficult too. He probably wouldn't be able to use a desk, and he wouldn't be able to play in gym class anymore. He would have probably mused more, but his mother interrupted his thoughts.

"I have to get going honey, but I'll be here bright and early tomorrow, okay? Then we can try this wheelchair thing out." She kissed him on the forehead as she rose to leave.

"Okay Mom. I love you," Artie replied.

"Love you too," she paused at the door. "Get some sleep, all right sweetheart?" Artie nodded in agreement. "Good night."

Artie slumped down as soon as she was gone. He was not looking forward to this at all. He soon drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

"But….but…I thought you were getting better?" Kurt stared at his mother in concern. Burt and Karen had just told him that she would probably only be around for another month.

"I was sweetie, but….well the cancer came back. And they've tried everything but my body is tired of fighting and so it's shutting down. Do you understand?" Kurt's bottom lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears as he shook his head.

"I want you to get better Mom. I want you to come home with me and Dad. Why does it have to be you?" The tears that were brimming now started falling down his face. Wordlessly Karen drew him close to her, trying to hide her own tears from him. Burt sat against the edge of the bed and placed one hand on Kurt's shoulder, while grabbing Karen's hand with his free one. The three of them sat there in silences, sans Kurt's quiet sobs. Eventually they tapered off, changing to the occasional hiccup or sniffle.

"Kurt, I know this is difficult, but we told you so that we can make these next couple of weeks as good as possible," Burt said gently. "We're going to spend as much time together as we can." Kurt nodded, and reached forward to give his mother a tight hug. After a few seconds, he broke away and Karen kissed the top of his head gently. Kurt slid off the bed as Burt leaned in to give Karen a kiss goodbye.

The two walked out to the car in silence, a silence that was echoed the entire ride home. Burt wasn't a very talkative person normally, but the constant silence between him and his son was very straining. He didn't know what he could possibly say to make the situation better. There probably wasn't anything that he could say to appease Kurt, and with his luck he would probably make matters worse.

"We'll go see her first thing in the morning, okay Kurt?" Kurt nodded before giving his father a brief hug and padded off to bed.

* * *

It took his mother, the doctor, and a nurse, but they managed to get Artie situated in the wheelchair. The doctor said that he would be able to transfer himself in the future, something that Artie highly doubted. He wasn't exactly the strongest person in the world. Once seated, he awkwardly placed his hands in his lap, not sure what to do with them. After a few brief instructions from the doctor, he placed his hands on the wheels and pushed himself forward. He practiced turns and going back and forth in the room a few times before Dr. Berenson proclaimed (a tad bit too enthusiastically) that he was ready to try it in the hallway. The adults promised to walk a ways behind him so that he could try it without any interference. After a bit of maneuvering, he managed to make his way into the hallway.

It was simple enough wheeling down the straight hall, especially with nothing in the way for him to bump into. He was glad because he had other things to worry about. His fingers were constantly getting caught in the wheels, and although he hadn't been pushing for long, he could feel his hands rubbing raw against the rubber of the wheels. At the end of the hallway was the waiting room, where people sat either paging through magazines or in conversation with their neighbors. He tentatively pushed himself in, and was thankful that no one was watching him.

He glanced around at the people in the room. Most were either adults sitting by themselves or families with bunches of little kids running around, playing with various toys. What caught his eye though, was a boy who looked about his age, sitting by himself next to the wall. After a few seconds of struggling, he managed to get the chair pointing in the right direction, and wheeled over to the boy.

Artie wasn't sure why he was drawn to the boy. Maybe it was the sad expression on his face, or the fact that he was alone and looked like his age. As he drew closer, he took in the boy's neat clothing and the abandoned pile of _Highlights_ magazines on the seat next to him.

"Hi I'm Artie. What's your name?" The boy looked up in surprise, obviously not having had spotted Artie earlier.

"I'm…Kurt." He replied hesitantly. He had never seen this boy before in his life. At school, most of the boys avoided him because he liked to hang out with the girls and play make believe during recess. The dark haired, bespectacled boy in front of him though was smiling cautiously at Kurt, and seemed friendly enough.

"What are you doing here?" Artie inquired.

"I…well I'm waiting for my dad to come back and get me," was Kurt's reply.

"Yeah, but why are you at the hospital," Artie pressed.

"Oh, well my mom is really sick. We're visiting her here. Why are you here?" Kurt asked. Belatedly he looked down and saw that Artie was sitting in a wheelchair.

"I was in a bad car accident," was the other boy's matter of fact reply. "And now I'm supposed to be trying this chair out."

"Oh. I'm sorry," was all Kurt could think of to say. He didn't really know how he was supposed to respond. The only people he had ever seen in wheelchairs were older people who needed to be pushed around.

"It's all right," Artie said. "It's not…that bad I guess." Both boys took a moment to stare at the chair in question. Artie was startled out of his thoughts when he heard his mother calling his name. He twisted and saw her motioning for him to come over by her.

"I have to go – "

"I think she wants – " both boys started talking at the same time. As if on cue they started laughing together.

"Maybe I'll see you later?" Artie asked.

"Yeah, maybe," Kurt replied with a smile. He watched as the boy awkwardly turned the chair around and headed over towards his mother. He turned and waved at Kurt right before they headed down the hallway, his mother pushing the chair now. Kurt waved back, still smiling.

"Who was that?" Artie's mother asked him as they headed back to his room.

"His name is Kurt. He looked sad so I went over to talk to him."

"Well that was nice of you," Cathy smiled down at her son. "Maybe you two will see each other later."

"Yeah, maybe," Artie replied, thinking of how nice it would to have a friend to talk to for once.

* * *

_Thanks so much to all those who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed! I love hearing your feedback! Next chapter will feature more interaction between the boys._


	3. Rabbits

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 11, 2001_

The next two days passed without incident for Artie. He continued practicing with the wheelchair around the hospital and started learning other situations that he would have to deal with now. Learning how to use the bathroom was difficult and embarrassing, and getting his lower half dressed proved to be quite a challenge. He didn't see the boy that he had spoken to in the lobby anywhere in the hospital which disappointed him. He had been hoping for someone to talk to.

The nurses and doctors at the hospital had gotten to know who he was by now; at least by sight. He was "the poor little boy that was in the car accident." At least that's what he overheard one nurse whispering to her friend. He was sick of the pitying looks that he got every time he went out in the halls to practice. Everyone had a sympathetic smile or kind word to say to him. If he weren't in the chair, they would have either ignored him or glanced in irritation at the kid who was running around without any parent watching him. Artie figured that he would almost rather have them ignore him than smile sadly anymore.

The chair itself was becoming a bother to him. He understood its necessity and usefulness, but it was annoying him. The chair was a little bit too big for his lanky frame which made it difficult to maneuver. His hands had become rubbed raw from the wheels and his fingers were constantly hurting from getting caught in between the wheel and the chair itself. However, whenever his mother inquired how the progress was going, he would smile and say that it was fine. He could only imagine the expression on her face if she saw the sorry state that his hands were in.

* * *

On the ride to the hospital, Kurt was unusually talkative. And rather loud about it as well, Burt noticed. He was prattling on about something that had happened in gym class and how some of the kids had started throwing food at lunchtime. Kurt would usually discuss his day, but never with quite this much enthusiasm. Or this loudly. His son was sitting in the backseat again, looking as if he had too much caffeine. He was clutching his backpack to his chest and looking around almost nervously as he talked. Burt figured that he was just excited to see his mother and decided not to question it. He was glad that Kurt was finally acting normally again.

When they got to the hospital, he had to have Kurt sit in the waiting room again. The doctors had to talk to him and Karen again, and they had figured it was better if Kurt waited until they were done with the details. Kurt found himself stuck in the same room he was sitting in a couple of days ago. There wasn't anything interesting to look at; the walls were a plain white with only a clock on one of them. The chairs and couches placed around the room were a faded red color, with material that was scratchy against the skin and smelled faintly of dust. Some of the magazines set out on the tables for entertainment were dated to before Kurt had even been born.

Just then, Kurt's stomach rumbled rather loudly. Blushing, he peeked into his backpack to see if there was any of his lunch left. No such luck. Right before he was closing it, his eye landed on an inside pocket. He opened it, and was pleased to see the zip lock bag of emergency money was still in there. His dad had only given a few dollars and some quarters but it was just what he needed. He pulled the bag out and got up, backpack still clutched tightly in his hands. He started to walk down the main hallway in search of a vending machine. He hadn't remembered seeing one in the hospital before, but people needed to eat here right? As he walked, Kurt peered inside each door just in case one of the rooms was specifically for vending machines. Maybe there was a cafeteria here like there was at his mom's work; he got to visit there once and she had let him buy something from one of the machines.

Most of the rooms seemed to just contain patients though; people in beds, some with wires hooked up to them, others with casts, and still others looking just fine. He did a double take as he looked in one room though, and backed up to look in again. The boy in the bed looked kind of familiar. Where had he seen him before? He didn't go to school with him, did he? Just then it clicked. He was the boy that Kurt had met in the lobby a couple of days ago.

Peering his head around the doorframe, Kurt attempted to knock on the door with his elbow, seeing as how his hands were otherwise occupied at the moment. He almost succeeded in dropping his backpack, but he got the other boy's attention. Artie glanced up to see a boy standing in the doorway to his room, dark blue backpack in his hands. He immediately recognized him as the boy he talked to in the lobby the other day.

"Hi!" Artie said cheerfully, startling Kurt.

"Hi," Kurt replied, a little less exuberantly, still trying to get a grasp on the stuff in his hands.

"You can come in if you want to," Artie said.

"Thanks," Kurt replied stumbling into the room. He walked up to the bed and unceremoniously dumped his backpack onto the bed next to Artie.

"What's in there?" Artie asked, trying to peer inside the bag. Kurt looked around nervously before lowering his voice and saying,

"I'll show you but you have to promise to not tell anyone." Artie nodded solemnly at the prospect of being able to be trusted with what seemed to be a rather big secret. Kurt walked over and shut the door to the room before bounding back over to the bed. He clamored up next to Artie and pulled the backpack onto his lap. Almost reverently, he pulled a shoebox out of the backpack.

"Shoes?" Artie asked skeptically.

"No, not shoes," Kurt replied carefully. "I wanted to show this to my mom, but the hospital has really dumb rules so I snuck it in." Just then the box that was still sitting on Kurt's lap moved. Artie's eyes widened as he stared at it, and then looked up at Kurt almost in concern.

"What's in there?" he asked nervously. In reply, Kurt pulled the lid off and Artie found himself looking at –

A small, fluffy rabbit.

"We each get a turn to take care of him for a week and this week was my turn," Kurt explained as Artie stretched out a tentative finger to pet the top of the rabbit's head. "I wanted to show him to my mom, but the hospital said that you can't bring animals in unless they're dogs that help blind people walk, and well he can't, so I had to sneak him in – "

"What's his name?" Artie interrupted Kurt's monologue. Kurt heaved a deep sigh of disgust and replied,

"Whiskers. We voted on a name and most people wanted that one. It's really stupid."

"What did you want to name him?" Artie asked.

"Marc Jacobs," was Kurt's reply. Artie considered it for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"That's a much cooler name than Whiskers."

"Do you want to hold him?" Kurt asked, already picking the rabbit up out of the box.

"Yeah sure!" Artie replied. "I've always wanted a pet but my older sister is allergic to fur, so we can never get one." He accepted the rabbit carefully from Kurt and cradled it carefully against his chest. At that moment, Artie's mom came back into the room. She had paused outside the door, confused as to how it had gotten closed. She had only left about five minutes ago to run out to the car, and there's no way Artie could have closed it. She opened it slowly, and was surprised at what she saw. Another boy about Artie's age was sitting on the bed with him and – was that a rabbit? She couldn't help but smile at the scene and at Artie's delighted giggle as the rabbit squirmed in his arms.

She then remembered the reason that she had left the room in the first place. She had to run out to the car to get a camera that the doctor had requested that she bring in so they could take pictures of some of Artie's more obvious injuries for legal reasons. Acting on an impulse, she switched the camera on, raised it to her eye and took a quick snap of the boys and the rabbit. The click and flash of light from the camera alerted the boys to her presence in the room. Kurt gasped and immediately looked guilty at being caught while Artie just smiled and called out,

"Mom look I'm holding a rabbit!"

"I see that," Cathy replied wryly as she closed the door behind her. "Where did you get it from?"

"Kurt brought it in," was Artie's enthusiastic reply. "He hid it in his backpack."

"Well that was nice of him to share it with you, but you know the hospital doesn't allow animals."

"I know," Kurt spoke up for the first time. "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to show him to my mom."

"All right, but you might want to put him away because I think the doctor is coming in here soon," she replied with a smile. Artie gently deposited the rabbit into Kurt's arms, who then transferred the rabbit into the box, and the box into his backpack.

"Are you here with someone," Cathy asked Kurt.

"Yes my dad's here with me – oh no!" he suddenly exclaimed. When both Abrams looked at him in confusion, he explained, "I was supposed to wait for him in the lobby!" He quickly jumped off the bed and headed for the door.

"Hey wait," Artie called out. "Are you going to be here tomorrow?" Kurt turned around and paused as he thought about it.

"I think we're coming back tomorrow, but I'm not sure yet."

"If you are, can you come by again? 'Cause I like having someone to talk to." Kurt's face lit up with a smile as he said,

"I'll try to! I like having someone to talk to too." Artie smiled back and Kurt practically ran from the room as fast as he could with his backpack in his arms. He practically skidded into the waiting room where he saw his dad at the receptionist's desk, talking frantically to the lady working there.

* * *

"Dad, I'm right here," Kurt called out breathlessly.

"Kurt, thank God," his father said, the relief evident in his voice as he crossed the room to his son. "Where on earth did you go?"

"I was talking to someone," Kurt replied. "I was really bored just sitting here."

"Well, next time you have to ask. I had no idea where you were! Someone could have taken you or –"

"Dad I'm fine," Kurt interrupted his father. "Next time I'll let you know if I'm going somewhere." Just then, Cathy walked up to them.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but your son was just visiting with mine. I'm sorry if there was any confusion." Burt turned to the woman who had approached them.

"Oh, um that's all right, I just panicked a little bit when he wasn't sitting where he was supposed to be."

"I'm Cathy Abrams," she said offering her hand. Burt took it and replied with,

"Burt Hummel. So does Kurt know your son from school?"

"No, actually I think they met a few days ago here and they were just talking." Cathy felt that it would probably be better if Kurt himself told his father that he had snuck a rabbit into the hospital.

"Well that's fine," Burt said, glancing at his son who was attempting to look innocent. He was still carrying his backpack in his arms for some reason, although that wasn't one of the weirder things that Kurt had done. "We'll be back here tomorrow again, so you boys can hang out if you want to. Kurt's face lit up at this and said,

"Yeah!" rather enthusiastically, making both adults laugh.

"Well, I have to actually get going," Cathy said.

"It was nice to meet you," Burt replied honestly. "Take care." Cathy waved goodbye as she walked back towards Artie's room.

"All right buddy, let's go see Mom, okay?" Kurt nodded happily. "Whatcha got there in the bag?"

"Um, just something from school that I wanted to show Mom," Kurt replied nervously.

"Well let's get going then," Burt replied as he led the way to the elevator.

* * *

_A/N: I love reading your reviews so much you guys! They make writing this so much easier and feedback is always appreciated. I know a couple of you mentioned wanting to see them in present day and there will be something like that later on. As for the next chapter, they will continue bonding. _


	4. Bubbles

**DISCLAIMER: Because I haven't done this yet...I don't own Glee or anything related to it. It all belongs to Fox. For the record, I don't own anything else in this story that has a name brand on it. **

* * *

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 13, 2001_

Artie stared glumly at the shopping bag on the bed next to him. His father had gone to the store with his older brother and together they had bought a collection of toys and such that they thought would entertain him during his stay at the hospital. He had peered inside and had been sorely disappointed. HotWheels cars, more coloring books, a Lego kit, bubbles, and a pack of Pokémon cards. He had colored more pictures in than he ever cared to in his life, and he never really liked Legos. There was nowhere to really play with the cars or bubbles, since he couldn't get out of his bed, let alone go outside. He had looked through the Pokémon cards, but that was only interesting for about five minutes. The rest of his cards were at home so he couldn't even do anything with them. The television in his room had been playing boring soap operas all day long, and although he would never actually admit it out loud, he was sick and tired of being in the hospital.

He had hoped that Kurt would show up the next day, but the other boy had been nowhere to be seen. Even if he didn't sneak in another animal, it was nice to have someone to talk to; someone who didn't want to talk about physical therapy, medicine, or wheelchair accessible ramps. At this point, he had been in the hospital for about a week and a half, and unfortunately there didn't seem to be a definite date as to when he could finally go home.

Just then he heard a knock on the door. He looked up, expecting to see a nurse coming in to check on how he was doing. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Kurt standing in the doorway. Behind him stood a man wearing a baseball cap who Artie could only assume was his father. Kurt waved rather enthusiastically at Artie while his dad said,

"Hey, um Artie right?" When Artie nodded in affirmation, he continued. "Would it be all right if Kurt hung out with you for a while?"

"Yeah sure no problem!" Artie replied happily. With his answer, Kurt bounded into the room and hopped up onto the bed next to Artie.

"Bye Dad," he said turning around and waving his father away.

"Bye," his dad replied, slightly amused. "I'll be back in a little while to bring you up by Mom, okay?" Kurt nodded in agreement, and Burt left the room.

"Whatchya doing?" Kurt asked Artie.

"Nothing," Artie replied grumpily. "This hospital is super boring."

"Yeah I know," Kurt replied. "There are no toys or anything here."

"My dad brought me some stuff but it's not really interesting," Artie said pointing to the shopping bag sitting on the chair next to the bed. Kurt leaned over and pulled it onto the bed. Looking inside, he could understand why Artie hadn't touched it. However –

"Did you look at the Pokémon cards?"

"Yeah but the rest of mine are at home and it's not like I can trade them or anything."

"I have a whole ton at home," Kurt replied eagerly. "Next time I'll bring them and we can trade."

"Awesome," Artie agreed with a grin. "I've got some really rare ones." Kurt reached his hand into the bag and pulled out the bottle of bubbles.

"We could play with this."

"But we can't go outside," Artie said, brow furrowed.

"So what?" Kurt retorted. "It's basically soap. It's clean. We can use it right here." With that, he hopped off the bed, bottle in hand and uncapped it. Bringing the wand up to his face, he blew out resulting in a stream of bubbles floating across the room. Turning toward Artie, he dipped the wand back in and then blew a stream at the other boy. Artie laughed and batted the bubbles away with his hands. Kurt then held the wand up again, and after taking a deep breath, blew out as slowly and steadily as he could. The solution expanded slowly, creating a rather large bubble. It broke away from the wand and floating lopsidedly across the room. Artie leaned back as it came right next to his face, to no avail as it hit his nose and burst, showering him in miniature bubbles. Both boys burst out laughing at this as Artie shook his head and rubbed his nose.

Kurt then handed Artie the bubbles and instructed him to blow them across the room. Artie complied and Kurt started jumping around the room, attempting to pop as many as he could. This resulted in Artie instructing Kurt as where to go, both boys shouting and laughing rather loudly. A passing nurse peered in the room and had to chuckle at the boys' antics. Artie's mom also peeked through the window to see what the noise was and when she saw what was going on, she decided to come back later so that the boys wouldn't be disturbed. She did take note of the expression on Artie's face though. She hadn't heard him laugh in weeks, let alone truly smile. At the moment he seemed to have forgotten all about his condition, and if the matching expression on Kurt's face said anything, he wasn't worrying about his mother either.

After a while, the floor was getting rather sticky from the soap, so the boys retired the bubbles. They sat and talked a while about their respective schools and the different people that went there. They traded favorite and least favorite classes, and discussed how just about all teachers were probably evil. Artie told Kurt about his family, describing each member in great, exaggerated detail, while Kurt admitted how he had always wanted a brother to hang out with. Eventually they ran out of things to talk about and grew slightly bored.

"Hey, can you get in that chair again? Then we could actually go somewhere and do something fun," Kurt asked.

"Well….I can but I need some help getting in it," Artie admitted.

"I'll help you!" Kurt offered, hopping off the bed and looking around for the wheelchair.

"No, I need like a bunch of grown-ups to help me," Artie replied feeling frustrated that he couldn't do anything.

"Okay then," Kurt said coming around to the other side of the bed, clearly looking for something. "Where's the button that calls the nurse?"

"I don't think I'm supposed to push that," Artie said nervously. It was too late however, for Kurt had found the button and pressed it. A minute later a nurse did show up at the door.

"Something I can do for you boys?" she asked after seeing that neither boy seemed to have anything wrong with them.

"Can you help him get in the chair? Please?" Kurt asked without preamble. The nurse chuckled and agreed. She pulled the chair out from the corner that it was sitting in and positioned it next to the bed. She paused for a moment, considering how she was going to transfer Artie from the bed to the chair.

"How does bridal style sound?" she asked. Artie shrugged in agreement, not completely sure what she meant by that. She pulled the covers off his legs, and placed one arm underneath them while the other circled his waist. In what seemed like no time at all, Artie was situated in the chair again, and the nurse was walking out the door, waving at the boys. Kurt immediately walked to behind the chair, took hold of the handles, and started pushing.

"Where are we going?" Artie asked surprised at the other boy taking control, but enjoying the fact that he didn't have to hurt his fingers by trying to push himself around.

"I don't know yet," Kurt replied. "But there has to be somewhere in the hospital that is slightly interesting."

"Maybe we'll find Narnia," Artie replied jokingly.

"That'd be so cool!" Kurt exclaimed, startling the other boy.

"You've read the Narnia books?" Artie asked, twisting around to look up at Kurt.

"Of course I have," Kurt replied indignantly.

"Oh, it's just that everyone I know says they're too hard to read and really boring."

"Well they're all stupid," Kurt replied. "Those books are amazing."

"I agree," Artie said, settling himself forward again. "What about Harry Potter?"

"Yes of course!" Kurt answered. "Those are really good too!" Artie nodded his approval as they continued down the hall, searching for – well he wasn't quite sure what they were looking for. Just then, Kurt turned left down what appeared to be a deserted hallway.

"You want to try something fun?" Kurt asked after a sudden brain wave.

"Um sure I guess so," Artie answered hesitantly. He honestly couldn't see what there was possibly down this hallway that was _fun. _Kurt pulled the chair back a little ways, glanced up and down to see if anyone was around to see, then started pushing Artie at a run. Once he had picked up a good speed – which didn't take long – he let Artie go.

"Aaah!" Artie yelled out of sheer exhilaration. He hadn't been expecting that, but it reminded him of coasting along on his bike which he had always enjoyed. Just then he noticed that the wall at the end of the hall was getting closer to him rather quickly so he put his hands out to stop himself. Unfortunately he forgot that he was going pretty quick and that the rubber wheels hurt his hands. He managed to slow himself down enough before he snatched his hands from the wheels, crying out in pain. He hadn't stopped himself completely and ended up bumping into the wall, although not very hard. He heard footsteps behind him and Kurt skidded up next to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! What's wrong?" he panted as he bent over, hands on knees, trying to catch his breath. In response, Artie held his hands up. Bright red streaks ran across the palms and fingers.

"Ouch," Kurt winced sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Artie replied staring at his own hands. "I wasn't expecting that for sure."

"Guess we can't do that anymore," Kurt said sadly. "That sure looked like fun."

"It was," Artie reassured him. "You know, before I crashed." Both boys started laughing as Kurt took the handles and started pushing Artie back the way they came. When they got back to the room, they found the doctor, Artie's mom, and Kurt's dad waiting for them.

"I think we're in trouble," Artie whispered to Kurt when he saw the expressions on the grown-up's faces.

"Uh huh," Kurt managed to squeak out.

"Well, how nice to see you two again," the doctor commented with a wry grin. "Why don't we get you back into bed now, Artie?" With the doctor and his mother helping, Artie was transferred back into the hospital bed. He realized with a pang, how much he had enjoyed being out and about. Even though the chair was limiting, it at least allowed him some freedom and movement.

"Hey Artie, we're going up by my mom now," Kurt spoke up from where he stood in the doorway with his dad. "But I'll come by tomorrow and I'll bring my Pokémon cards so that we can trade." Artie nodded enthusiastically and waved goodbye. As the two left, Artie could hear Kurt's father reprimanding him for leaving the room without telling anyone where they were going. He figured that his mother would probably yell at him as well. He wisely hid his red hands from her as she launched into a safety lecture.

_Wal-Mart – Lima, Ohio December 13, 2001_

Burt had stopped by the store on their way home to pick up a few items for supper. With them spending so much time at the hospital, their refrigerator and pantry were looking pretty bare. Kurt was chattering away about what he and Artie had done that day, pausing only to take breaths in between his story telling. He was happy to see Kurt acting normally again. He had pieced together the nervous blabbering in the car the other day with the fact that he was just trying to hide the rabbit from his dad. Kurt had wisely waited until his father had left the room to show the rabbit to his mother. He was smart enough to know that she wouldn't yell at him for it. Karen had pulled him to the side later and let him know what exactly was in Kurt's backpack. As far as Kurt knew, he had succeeded in sneaking the rabbit past his dad. Burt had to chuckle at his son's actions. A stunt like that was something that only Kurt would try and pull.

As they headed down the frozen food isle, Kurt stopped talking and started peering around.

"What are you looking for?" Burt inquired as he picked up a bag of chicken nuggets.

"Where's the sports section?" Kurt asked in reply. Burt actually put the bag back down and turned to stare at his son in shock. Never before in his life had Kurt shown any interest in sports, and he never expected for him to start. But here he was, looking around in interest for an area of the store that contained balls, bats, and all kinds of equipment that he had once deemed "boring and stupid."

"It's over this way," Burt said, leading the way as quickly as he could. This opportunity might never happen again, and he was definitely going to take advantage of it while he had the chance. Soon enough they reached it and Burt started to narrate for his son.

"Here's the basketball and football stuff down in this aisle, and the next one over has golf and tennis – Kurt?" While he had been laying out the area, his son had wandered off, in search of something.

"Where's the bicycle stuff?"

"Bicycle? Kurt you know it's the middle of winter right?"

"Yeah I know. I'm looking for gloves." Burt's brow furrowed but he led his son to the right aisle. Kurt peered up at the selection of gloves and selected a pair of plain black ones. "Okay, I'm done. You can keep looking for food now."

Burt finished up with the last couple of purchases and they checked out. On the way home, he asked Kurt what the gloves were for.

"Artie's hands keep getting hurt from the wheels on his chair so I got these to help protect his hands."

That was definitely not the response that Burt was expecting, and it touched him that an eight year old was observant enough to notice something like that. Let alone the fact that he turned around and did something out of the good of his heart without being told. Most adults he knew wouldn't even be willing to do that. He cleared his throat and said,

"I think he'll really appreciate them." Kurt smiled and settled back into the seat. He couldn't wait until the next day when he could give the gloves to Artie.

* * *

_In my head, both Artie and Kurt are huge nerds (Artie is obviously on the show) so that's why I have them geeking out over Narnia, Harry Potter, and Pokemon. I would have had this up sooner but my computer time is limited so that makes writing this kind of difficult. Thanks again for all the great reviews and as always, feedback is greatly appreciated._


	5. Racing

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 14, 2001_

Kurt marched purposely through the waiting room of the hospital the next day. Under one arm he had tucked his binder full of Pokémon cards. In his other hand, he carried a hastily newspaper-wrapped package that contained the gloves for Artie. His dad had stopped to talk to the receptionist about something, so he had continued on his own to Artie's room. After knocking, he entered when he heard a,

"Come in." Artie was sitting up on the bed, a binder of his own sitting on his lap. Kurt dropped his belongings on the bed and hopped up next to Artie.

"I brought my cards," he informed the other boy.

"I had my mom bring mine too," Artie informed him, looking at the blue binder in front of him. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the newspapered package by their feet.

"This is for you actually," Kurt replied handing it to him. "Merry early Christmas!"

"Wow cool," Artie said enthusiastically as he ripped the paper off. "Um, thanks but I kind of can't ride a bike anymore."

"They're not for a bike, they're for your chair," Kurt explained. "So your hands won't hurt so much on the wheels. Artie gave a nod of understanding and pulled the gloves on to see if they fit.

"Perfect fit," he declared once he had fastened the Velcro.

"I know they're not the most stylish in the world, but that's all the store had," Kurt admitted. "It was these or these kind of ugly yellow ones."

"I like yellow," Artie grinned. "But the black does look cooler. Thank you. Now let's trade cards!" The boys traded respective binders and began searching through pausing occasionally to point out one that they wanted or thought was cool. A half an hour went by before they were finally satisfied. Artie had obtained a Dragonite, which he proudly displayed on his front page, while Kurt had gotten an Alakazam in return. He bemoaned the fact that Artie had received the rare Mewtwo card because he went to the first movie in theatres. Both of his parents had been too busy to take Kurt, and no matter what he offered, Artie wouldn't give it up.

* * *

After a while, the boys got bored with the Pokémon cards, and Kurt proposed that they go explore again.

"We'll call a nurse again and she can help you. Then we can try out your gloves and see if they work."

"I don't know," Artie replied nervously. "I kind of got in trouble last time because I left when I wasn't supposed to."

"Well when is your mom coming to see you?" Kurt asked.

"Not till after lunchtime," Artie answered. "But I think she warned the nurses to not let me out again." Kurt pondered this for a moment before deciding,

"I'll help you in the chair then." Ignoring Artie's feeble protests, he pulled the chair right up next to the bed like he had seen the nurse do, and then he pushed the button that lowered the bed. When the bed was level enough with the chair, he stopped it and reached out to help Artie. However, the other boy shrank back from him.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, brow furrowed. "I'm strong, so don't worry, I won't drop you."

"It's not that…it's just that…I don't know. I feel weird when people touch my legs."

"I thought you couldn't feel them at all," Kurt replied confusedly.

"I can't…that's not the point. It freaks some people out. My brother and sister won't even touch me."

"I really don't care," Kurt replied, hands on his hips. "Now do you want to go do something or just sit here and be bored?" Artie considered this for a moment, staring at the boy in front of him. Finally, he scooted himself over to the very edge of the bed, dragging his legs over as well. Kurt put one arm behind his back and the other under his legs, just like the nurse had done. However, what he hadn't anticipated was the fact that Artie weighed about the same as he did, and he did almost drop the other boy as he pulled him off the bed. He managed to get him partially in the chair though, and Artie was able to straighten himself out from there.

"All right, let's go," Kurt declared taking control of the handles again. He pushed Artie out of the room and down the now very familiar hallway. This time Kurt seemed to have a destination in mind though. Soon they arrived at the same deserted hallway that they had been at the day before.

"You ready to try this again?" Kurt asked. Artie glanced down at his gloved hands and nodded.

"Let's do it." Kurt backed up a little, and started pushing Artie at a run. Once he reached a decent speed, he let go.

"Yaaah!" Artie shouted as he sped down the hallway. This time when he got nearer to the end, and he placed his hands on the wheels to stop, it didn't hurt at all. He could feel the wheels, but the coarse material of the gloves prevented his hands from getting injured.

"That was so much fun!" he called out to Kurt who was still at the other end of the hall.

"Come back and we'll do it again," came the reply. Artie started wheeling his way back down the hall, marveling at how nice it felt to not have his hands in pain. He still had to work on keeping his fingers out of the way, but the majority of the pain was gone. Once he got back to the end of the hall, Kurt gave him another push back down. This time, he managed to spin himself around when he stopped.

"You know what would be really cool?" Kurt asked when he came back the second time.

"What?"

"If you could pop a wheelie. You know, kind of like what you do on a bike." Artie nodded in agreement and tried to do one right there. Nothing happened though. Undeterred, he just resolved to keep practicing. Once his arms got stronger, he might be able to do it.

By this point, all the noise they were making had attracted the attention of some of the nurses who stopped by to see what the racket was. They had to smile at the sight of the two boys racing up and down the hallway in delight. The two had become well known among the staff, both suffering from some terrible life changes. The fact that they were able to find a friend in each other and keep their spirits up was an inspiring sight.

Next, Artie suggested racing so that he could work on going faster. He got a head start and after counting to five, Kurt could start running to race him. After a couple of races, they had won a few each, and were getting tired. They peeked in Artie's room to make sure his mom wasn't there yet, before Kurt hesitantly asked if Artie would like to meet his mother. Artie agreed immediately, so they headed towards the elevator.

Once they were on the second floor, Kurt took control again, heading in the direction of his mom's room. He poked his head in first to make sure there weren't any doctors or nurses, then pushed Artie in.

"Hi mom," he said. "This is Artie. We were bored so we decided to come by and visit you." Karen Hummel smiled at the sight of the two boys, both with rather red faces and messy hair.

"Well it's very nice to meet you Artie," she said. "I've heard lots of good things about you lately."

"It's nice to meet you too," Artie replied shyly. Here was something he wasn't used to lately. An adult, talking to him like he was normal, like he was just another friend of Kurt's, and not some poor kid stuck in a wheelchair. He decided that he liked Kurt's mom a lot.

"What were you two up to?" she asked. "You look like you were doing some serious exercising." The boys exchanged guilty looks before Kurt spoke up.

"We were just walking around the hospital. You know, looking at stuff."

"Walking?" Karen repeated dubiously, still smiling. "Looks more like you were running."

"Oh I can't run anymore," Artie replied before realizing that it sounded stupid and kind of rude. However, Karen just laughed and shook her head.

"Well if anyone asks, I have no idea what you two were up to," she said cheerfully. "Did you do anything else today?"

"We traded Pokémon cards," Kurt replied. "Mom," his voice took on a whining tone. "Artie has the _Mewtwo_ card. He got to go to the _movie_ when it was in _theaters._" Karen just smiled affectionately at her son.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but we can't go back into the past and change it now."

"Yeah, I know," Kurt replied slightly grumpily. "Hey guess what?" he said perking up.

"You won the lottery?"

"No. That would be cool though," Kurt pondered. "We're doing a secret Santa exchange in school."

"Oh that's fun," his mom replied. "Who did you get?"

"This girl named Rachel. She's really annoying though. She's always singing during class and she brags every time she gets a gold star on a paper."

"Well what have you gotten for her?" Karen asked.

"Dad bought some candy and I've been giving her that," Kurt replied. "My secret Santa gives me sticker books. The last one I got is one that's all stickers of _ducks_. I'm not really sure what to do with them."

"I'm sure you can figure something out to do with them," his mother said, hiding a smile. Just then, a nurse came in to check on her, so the boys waved goodbye and headed for the elevator. When they got back to Artie's room, his mother still wasn't there and they were faced with a dilemma. It was one thing getting Artie out of the bed, but a whole other thing getting him into it. They stood (or sat in Artie's case) for a few minutes, pondering how on earth they were going to manage this. They were saved when a nurse came in to bring Artie his lunch. She helped him back into bed and he accepted his food from her.

Kurt climbed back up onto the bed when the nurse left, and looked at the food on the tray. Artie's face was wrinkled in disgust as he gazed at the meal as well.

"That looks gross," Kurt commented offhandedly.

"It is gross," Artie said. "The main reason I can't wait to get out of here is so that I can eat normal food again."

He poked cautiously at what appeared to be a grilled cheese sandwich. It wiggled a few times before coming to a stop.

"Ew," both boys said simultaneously. They were interrupted by Mrs. Abrams who entered the room, Artie's little sister Megan balanced on her hip.

"Artie, you're going to be doing physical therapy today after lunch, oh hi Kurt nice to see you again, Artie you need to start making up your Christmas list at some point, everything is falling so far behind," she paused to take a breath. "Well, eat and then we can get going."

"I should probably go find my dad now," Kurt said, sliding off the bed.

"Okay," Artie replied. "Please take my food with you and burn it or something." His mother tapped him upside the head lightly and admonished him.

"That food is perfectly fine Arthur, now eat up!" Kurt was snickering slightly to himself at this.

"What?" Artie asked him.

"'Arthur'?" Kurt repeated teasingly.

"Yeah, so what?" Artie replied defensively. "What is Kurt short for anyways?" Kurt mumbled something that Artie couldn't understand. "What?"

"Kurtis," Kurt mumbled. Artie attempted and failed to hold back a smile at this.

"Why exactly were you making fun of my name again?" he teased.

"Okay I have to go now, bye!" Kurt practically sprinted to the door. He turned around and ran back into the room to grab his binder though, then waved to Artie as he ran out the door. Artie had to laugh at the sight. His laughter was cut short as he glanced back at his plate though and landed on his food.

* * *

A floor above Artie, Kurt was getting off the elevator and heading towards his mother's room again. His father was seated in the chair next to the bed and was holding his wife's hand while talking earnestly to her. Kurt paused in the doorway, taking in the scene. Both of his parents had very serious expressions on their faces, a stark contrast to the happy smile that was on his mother's face earlier. Maybe it was the lighting in the room, but his mother suddenly looked very old to him. He gotten used to seeing her with no hair and hooked up to various machines, but she was always smiling, laughing, and upbeat. Now she just seemed exhausted on the outside as well as the inside. As he watched, his dad leaned forward and kissed her.

Karen's gaze shifted to the door where she saw Kurt standing. She beckoned him over and after he placed his binder on the floor, he climbed up onto the bed next to her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Kurt…the doctors said that it doesn't look good for your mother," Burt said heavily. "She probably only has a couple of days left."

"But…but I thought you said it was four weeks? It's only been two so far." Kurt protested.

"I know sweetie," his mom spoke up, stroking his hair. "But things change. You know that."

"We're going to stay here as much as we possibly can," Burt interjected. "You're going to miss some school, but it won't be too much. The important thing now is that you can spend as much time as possible with your mother." Kurt nodded to show that he understood although he really didn't. When the doctor said four weeks, he should have meant it. Their time was now cut in half and there was a chance that his mother might not be here even for Christmas.

Kurt tried to push these thoughts out of his head as he curled up next to his mother He didn't want to face the fact that she wouldn't be around much longer. He was determined to spend as much time as possible with her.

* * *

_Sorry for the wait in between chapters! I got caught up in other stuff. So, this was another happy bonding chapter. __Next chapter will be getting into some heavier subject matter so be warned.__ Did I actually get out my old Pokemon cards for reference? Maybe. Do I want Kurt's full name to actually be Kurtis? Yes because that's the same way my dad spells his. Do I totally love your guys reviews and feedback and do they make me want to write more? Absolutely. Read and review please!_


	6. Changes

**Warning: Major angst ahead. This chapter skips around a bunch, but hopefully it makes sense.**

* * *

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 15, 2001_

Kurt had stopped by briefly on Saturday to visit with Artie, bringing a package of stickers with him that he had gotten from his secret Santa. They were musical notes and various instruments which he gave to Artie. The other boy was feeling slightly guilty because he hadn't given Kurt anything, but Kurt waved it off saying that it wasn't exactly like Artie could just go shopping. Besides, there wasn't anything that Kurt particularly wanted at the moment; at least not anything Artie could buy for him. The boys contented themselves with decorating the wheelchair with the stickers until Artie remembered that he didn't actually own that chair. They quickly pulled them off and stuck them haphazardly back on the paper. Most were losing their stickiness by this point though, and Kurt commented sadly that they probably wouldn't work anymore. There was a treble clef and a guitar that hadn't been used yet, and Artie promised Kurt that he would put them on his own chair once he got it.

The rest of the weekend however, Kurt was noticeably absent. Artie knew that his mother was doing worse, and he assumed that Kurt was spending as much time as possible with her. Mrs. Abrams told him that she had run into Burt in the hallway and he had told her that Karen only had a couple of days left. When Artie heard this, he felt sick to his stomach. Mrs. Hummel was such a nice person, and he felt incredibly bad for Kurt. He wanted to be able to do something, but he felt helpless. There was nothing he could really do at this point except wait and see what happened.

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 18, 2001_

Artie had grown quite bored over the next couple of days. He had taken Kurt's presence for granted, and hadn't realized quite how entertaining the other boy was. However, the doctor had come in and told him that he needed to practice using the wheelchair again. So he had been transferred from the bed to the chair and let loose to explore the hospital. It wasn't quite as exciting as it had been with Kurt right behind him. He had been up and down the hallway multiple times, so there was nothing new to see. He couldn't race up and down the hall with no one there to race him. He was quite getting the hang of using the chair, and the gloves had helped tremendously. When he reached the end of the hall, all there was to see was the elevator. He hadn't ever gone upstairs except for the one time Kurt took him up there to visit his mom. Acting on a whim, Artie pushed the 'up' button and wheeled in.

He was grateful that the elevator was empty so that he wouldn't have to endure confused or pitying stares from anyone. When he got to the second floor, he paused, not quite sure what he was exactly going to do now that he was up there. To be honest, the second floor looked just about the same as the floor he had just come up from. Since he honestly didn't have anything better to do, he began to wheel his way down it. Halfway down, he heard a muffled noise coming from his right. It sounded slightly like someone was crying. Peering around, he located the source of the noise. Curled up on a chair sitting outside a room was…someone. As he drew closer to the person, Artie's heart sank as he realized who it was.

"Kurt?" he asked tentatively. The boy sniffed and raised his head out of his arms. His eyes were puffy and red; tear tracks coursed down his face; his hair was a mess and he looked as though he had slept in his clothes.

"What's wrong?" Artie ventured, although he was sure he already knew the answer.

"My…my…m-mom," Kurt managed to choke out. "Sh-she's…she's…" he stuttered, not even able to finish his sentence. Artie, acting on instinct, grabbed Kurt's wrist and pulled him towards him and onto his lap. Kurt buried his face in Artie's shoulder as his hands fisted themselves into Artie's shirt. He started sobbing anew as Artie patted him gently on the back. The boys sat there for a while as Kurt continued to cry. He cried for his mom, his dad, and himself. He cried for all the times that he held in the tears so his parents wouldn't see him upset. He cried for the past, and all the good times that he remembered with his mom. He cried for the future and everything that he was going to get to experience that his mother wouldn't get to be there for.

Artie continued to hold Kurt and rub his back in what he hoped was comforting. He honestly didn't know what else to do. What do you tell a friend who has just had a parent die? Eventually, Kurt's sobs subsided into sniffles and he pulled away from Artie to wipe his eyes.

"S-s-sorry," he said moving to climb back into his chair, wiping at his face with his sleeve.

"It's okay," Artie replied quietly. The boys sat in silence sans a few sniffles and the occasional hiccup from Kurt.

"Th-thank you," Kurt spoke up unexpectedly, causing Artie to glance up at him. "For…everything."

"Thank you too," Artie replied honestly. "It was really nice to have a friend."

"Same here," Kurt said. Just then, they heard slow, heavy footsteps approaching. Artie turned around to see Burt approaching them. He wasn't crying, although it looked as if he had been before. The expression on his face was one of hopelessness and grief.

"Kurt, we have to get going," he said quietly, his voice hoarse. Kurt nodded and slid off the chair to walk over to his father.

"Bye Artie," he said sadly waving at the other boy. "Thanks again." Artie waved back as the two started to walk away. Little did he know, but he wouldn't be seeing Kurt again for a very long time.

_Lima Memorial Hospital – Lima, Ohio December 17, 2001_

_There was an eerie silence that surrounded Karen Hummel's room that night. She didn't have any machines hooked up to her; she was just lying in bed, her husband sitting in the chair next to her, and her son curled up in her arms. She was exhausted in every way a person could possibly be, and anyone who saw her could tell that she didn't have much time left. Doctors and nurses entered and left the room at irregular intervals to check on her, but they mostly gave the small family their privacy. In his gut, Burt knew that this was it; by the morning his wife would be gone. He was trying to stay strong for Karen and Kurt, but it was taking all his energy to not just burst into tears. _

_Kurt was curled up next to his mother, relishing the feel and smell of her, knowing that he wouldn't get this opportunity ever again. His mother stroked his hair, humming slightly under her breath. _

"_Kurt, honey?" she said suddenly. Kurt twisted to look up at his mother. "Can you promise me something?" she asked him. When he nodded she went on._

"_When you get older, people are going to want you to act a certain way, or be a certain person. I just want you to promise me that you'll never change for anyone. Always be true to yourself, and do what _you _want. Can you do that for me?"_

_Kurt nodded solemnly at her words. He already knew he was different from a lot of the kids in his class, and he had a feeling he kind of knew what his mother was talking about. Burt stirred in his seat, but didn't say anything. His wife had confided her theory about Kurt to him, and although he wasn't completely sure he was comfortable with the idea, it had crossed his mind before and he knew that he would love Kurt no matter what happened in the future._

"_Thank you sweetie," Karen said, pulling her son closer to her. The rest of the night dragged on, seeming to last forever. Kurt drifted in and out, always shaking himself when he woke up again, knowing that he couldn't afford to fall asleep now. Karen grew less and less alert, and soon she was almost out of it. Burt leaned over and gave her one last kiss as he reached out to grasp her hand tightly. Her other arm was still wrapped around Kurt. _

_At 2:37 am on December 18, 2001, Karen Hummel passed away._

_Lima, Ohio – December 2001 – October 2009 - Artie_

Artie later found out that the Hummels had left the hospital that day, and since there was no reason for Kurt to come back, he accepted that it was the last time he would see his friend. That weekend however, he finally was released from the hospital and got to go home at last. Christmas vacation had started, so he didn't have to worry about school for at least a couple of weeks. His vacation was spent trying to adjust to life in the wheelchair, something that would unfortunately continue for years. His house seemed foreign to him, after seeing it from such a different viewpoint. He couldn't even go to his bedroom because it was upstairs. He ended up having to sleep on the couch in the living room, which wasn't very comfortable, and he spent the first few nights crying himself to sleep – quietly of course, because if his mother heard him, she would get upset as well.

He was forced to sit inside all break, and watch the snow fall as his older siblings played around in the snow, something that he realized he would never be able to do again. The wheelchair that his parents had bought him was slightly smaller than the one he had been using previously, which he liked because it fit him better and didn't smell like old people. He stuck the guitar sticker from Kurt on the armrest and when his mother saw it, she asked him if he wanted to learn how to play once school started up again. After thinking about it for awhile, Artie told her yes. He thought it'd be cool to try something new, and it would give him something to concentrate on.

Artie had been dreading going back to school and being around all his classmates again. School was strange as well, seeing everything from knee level. His class had all made him cards that had 'Get Well' messages on them, which he supposed was nice, although the teacher had probably made them do it. After a week of people coming up to him, poking his legs and asking,

"Can you feel that?" they finally got tired of it, and started treating him normally again. It was still awkward when they found out that he couldn't come out to recess or join them in gym. Later in the year, his family moved across town to a house that was wheelchair accessible and much easier to get around. He got to stay at the same school which went up to the sixth grade, but since he was on the opposite side of town, he would be going to a different junior high than everyone in his class. He wasn't looking forward to being the new kid, but most of his friends from grade school had drifted away, and he wasn't very close with anyone.

Over the years, he had started learning guitar and embraced the experience once he found that he was quite good at it. Right before junior high started, he got a new chair seeing as how he had finally outgrown the other one. This one had little lights on the wheels in front, and was a little big for him, but he figured he would grow into it and then his parents wouldn't have to buy him a new one. He was digging through his desk drawers one day when he found a page with stickers on it. Most of them had peeled off due to previous use, but there was one that was still in perfect shape. He had to think back a little to remember where he had gotten it from, and his mind landed on the boy he had met at the hospital. With all the changes and everything that had gone on in his life, he had almost forgotten about the boy.

He tried to remember what he looked like – brown hair for sure, and he was pretty skinny – but the details escaped him. His name had been something that started with a 'K' or 'C'; Carlos maybe? Or was it Kurtis? Artie felt bad that he couldn't remember exactly. The other boy had been a great friend, and made the hospital experience much more enjoyable. As he thought about it, Artie peeled off the treble clef sticker and stuck in on the armrest absentmindedly. He then shook his head and turned to leave his room. He would probably never see the other boy again.

Now it wasn't to say that Kurt didn't impact him in anyway. Whenever he would see a rabbit, he had to hold back a chuckle at the thought of one being snuck into a hospital. When he had to buy a new pair of gloves because his old ones were worn out and too small for him, as a joke he picked a yellow pair because he remembered that the other boy had mentioned that he thought they were ugly. And most important of all, he remembered how easy it was as a child to just go up and talk to anyone, even people you don't know. He had done it on a whim with Kurt, and ended up with a really great friend. So during his first week of seventh grade, after getting to the lunch room late and seeing his normal table full of popular kids, he wheeled around until he found a table with only one person sitting at it. It was his past experience that made him go up and ask if he could sit there. When Tina Cohen-Chang peeked out from the long black hair that she was hiding behind and nodded a yes, he was grateful that he had taken a chance.

Junior high passed in a blur of awkward moments and being made fun of by the other kids. Artie and Tina became close friends and stuck together throughout it all, dreading high school together where they had heard horror stories of kids getting shoved in lockers and something called a 'slushy facial.'

When sophomore year rolled around, they decided to sign up for Glee together, due to their shared interest in music. The first month was a joke, with Mr. Ryerson leading it, and it was cancelled soon after. Mr. Schuester brought it back later the next month however, and they decided to sign up again. He wasn't quite as creepy as Mr. Ryerson, and never made moves on the students.

_Lima, Ohio – December 2001 – October 2009 – Kurt_

A few days after his mother had passed away, the funeral was held at a small chapel nearby. The service was small, just family and a few close friends. Kurt had stared at his mother, lying peacefully in the casket dressed in her best. He couldn't believe that she was really gone; he could touch her and see her yet she wasn't really there. During the service, one of her sisters had given a eulogy, as well as his father. They had asked Kurt if he wanted to say something but he had refused. He knew how much his mother meant to him, and he couldn't express it in words.

When he went back to school, he figured that everyone in his class had been told what happened because they were being awfully nice to him. During recess the other boys asked him if he wanted to play kickball with them which had never happened before. (Kurt personally thought they were crazy for playing in the snow, but that hadn't stopped them). He turned out to be quite the player, kicking the ball all the way across the playground and making it to at least third base each time. The next week though, he declined their offer and Noah Puckerman shoved him into a snow bank. Although he could have done without snow down his shirt, he was almost grateful that everyone was back to normal.

The next couple of years were very difficult for Kurt. He and his father grew apart, and he could practically feel the distance between them. At school, boys and girls suddenly didn't have cooties anymore, and the boys were talking about which girls were cute. Kurt didn't feel that way about any of them, but he felt funny whenever a boy named Marcus would talk to him or smile at him. He knew he was different from everyone else, but he was definitely confused.

As he got older, he found out that there was a name to put on his emotions which definitely made him feel slightly better. However, he soon found out that there were plenty of other names that could be used instead, and most of them weren't very nice at all. He developed a sort of shield to the insults and name calling, clinging to his mother's last words to him. He was determined to not let them change him at all.

Things got even more complicated when he entered junior high school. A large group of boys and girls, all going through puberty, stuck in one building all day long, did not spell out anything good. The names and bullying got worse, but Kurt stuck through it. In his seventh grade music class, he was introduced to musicals, and fell in love at once. He found an outlet where he could channel his emotions and even express himself. He enjoyed singing and dancing, but had never thought about doing something with them professionally. This carried him through to the end of eighth grade where he met Mercedes Jones, when they were assigned to sing together at graduation. They clicked instantly, and he was incredibly grateful to have someone to enter high school with.

His mother and everything that had to do with her was a touchy subject, and he never brought it up if he could help it. That time spent at the hospital was something he almost wished he could forget. One thing that stood out to him though, was the boy he had met there. He had wished that he could have said goodbye in a better way, but everything had happened so fast. Now that he was older, he could grasp the seriousness of the situation, and understood how hard it must be for someone to have so much taken away from them. He had seen the struggles the boy had with the chair and getting around.

Kurt had been dealing so much with his own life that he almost forgot about the other boy. If he saw someone in a wheelchair, he would do a double take, but with time he had honestly forgotten what the other boy looked like. He had a respect for those who did suffer from some sort of disability though, and didn't poke fun at them like his other peers did.

High school was Kurt's own personal hell, and if it weren't for Mercedes' friendship he didn't know how he would have gotten through. They joined Glee club together sophomore year, both hoping to hone their respective singing talents, but were sadly disappointed when they met Sandy Ryerson.

_McKinley High School – Lima, Ohio – October 2009_

Only five people had rejoined Glee club after the Hank incident though, and the club was looking pretty pathetic. There was Rachel, who demanded attention and was extremely annoying despite her amazing talent. Mercedes was the loud diva with the bright clothing, who fought constantly with Rachel over solos. Kurt was the fashionable countertenor who always had a snide remark for Rachel and was tossed in the dumpsters daily. Tina was the shy, stuttering, Goth with the blue hair and quiet, sweet voice. Artie was the dorky kid in the wheelchair who wore sweater vests and got locked in porta-potties.

Artie found the little group to be strange but he felt a kinship with the others, seeing as how they all had to experience the same hardships that existed within the walls of McKinley. The two other girls were both loud and bossy, yet he respected their talent. He obviously already knew Tina quite well, and when he met Kurt he felt a slight tugging of déjà vu, but shrugged it off. He was pretty sure he would have remembered someone who wore designer clothes on a regular basis and hero-worshipped Broadway performers.

Kurt had mixed feelings about the group. He loved Mercedes to death of course, but Rachel grinded his every nerve, and even though he knew she was talented, the bossiness and diva storm outs were very annoying. He didn't know much about Tina and Artie, except both were quiet yet talented in their own way. He respected Artie for having to deal with his disability yet always had a snarky comment to make, and could laugh off any insult thrown at him. He reminded Kurt of someone, but Kurt figured that he was just imagining things.

Over the year, Glee club grew and expanded. The members became friends, some rather reluctantly, and they made it through all the drama, performances, and threats of disbandment. Luckily though, the club was renewed for their junior year, and the members looked forward to another year of being together and hopefully kicking some Vocal Adrenaline butt.

* * *

_Well that was quite a lot of writing! I'm exhausted! This was an emotional chapter for sure. I know it may seem weird that they don't recognize each other, but they've had a very hard couple of years, and it is quite easy to forget people. Next chapter though, they find out and realize they knew each other. I hope you enjoyed this! _


	7. Realizations

**A/N: Takes place their junior year, and I'm currently ignoring the Artie/Tina spoilers of doom. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Abrams Household – Lima, Ohio – September 14, 2010_

Artie wheeled himself down the hallway in his house towards the den, intent on finding his iPod. He had left it sitting somewhere in the house, but couldn't remember where he had put it. Not seeing it on any of the end tables, he rolled over to the couch to see if it was stuck in between the cushions. No such luck. He started over towards one of the armchairs, even though he was sure he hadn't sat there, when his chair bumped into the bookshelf, and a shoebox fell to the floor, pictures spilling everywhere.

He sighed deeply, knowing that he had to pick up all the pictures, and some had already disappeared under the couch where it would be difficult for him to reach them. He leaned over and started picking up the ones closest to him and placing them back in the shoebox. After some deliberating, he realized that he had no other choice, and lowered himself to the floor so that he could reach under the couch to grab the wayward pictures. Once he was satisfied that he had gathered all of them, he decided to look at them. Maneuvering himself so that his back was against the couch with his legs sticking out in front of him, he pulled the shoebox onto his lap and starting shuffling through the pictures.

There were a few of his little sister in her chair at the table with baby food smeared all over her face, as well as some of his brother at his karate class. Marveling for a moment at how young they looked, he placed those to the side and continued looking. The next batch made him pause though, and he found himself looking at a chilling scene. Someone – probably his father – had gone to the site of the accident and taken pictures. Their little blue car was flipped over on its side, completely smashed up. The white van that had hit them had been pulled off, and had barely suffered any damage. Frowning, Artie shifted those away as well.

There was another one of his little sister, and Artie figured that he must have messed up the order in some way. Hoping that his mother didn't notice, he moved that one as well, and found himself staring at a picture of his back. Cuts and scrapes crisscrossed his back, and he winced as he remembered how sore he had been from those, and he distantly remembered his mother taking pictures of his injuries. There were a few more injury pictures, and then another one of his older sister at a birthday party that had happened a few days before the accident. Artie sighed, realizing that he was going to have to reorganize all these pictures. He shuffled those to the bottom as well, and picked up the next picture.

Artie blinked in surprise as he looked at the picture that he held in his hand. Was he…holding a rabbit? Just then, a flood of memories came back to him. He remembered the other boy that he had made friends with during his stay at the hospital. He had been the one who snuck a rabbit in, which Artie had to chuckle at as he thought about it. He studied the picture more carefully as he looked at the boy sitting on the bed next to him. He had his back to the camera, so Artie couldn't see his face. The details of the other boy's appearance had escaped him over the years, and he wished he could remember. He hadn't thought about him in years – everything that had happened since then had eclipsed the little amount of time he was friends with him.

Glancing once more at the picture, he placed it on the floor next to him, and moved onto the next one. As he brought it up to look at more closely, he gasped. In this one, he was still holding the rabbit, but the other boy was facing the camera as well. They had both been looking up at Artie's mom. Artie stared at the picture in disbelief, but it was pretty obvious as to what he was seeing.

The other boy was Kurt Hummel.

"Oh my God," he muttered, continuing to stare at the photo for another minute or so, trying to process what he was seeing. There was no question in his mind that it was Kurt – that was clear to anyone who had eyes. He looked exactly the same, just a miniature version of his present day self. He racked his brain for his impressions of the other boy. He was pretty sure he had mentioned wanting to name the rabbit Marc Jacobs – that was definitely something Kurt-like. He had the same "I don't care about anything" attitude back then as well, and Artie supposed that it made sense now why he thought Kurt was so familiar when he first met him.

He placed that photo on top of the other one, and continued to look through the box. He was surprised at what he found. There was a picture of him and Kurt playing with the bubbles. He was sitting up in bed, blowing a steady stream out, while Kurt was jumping around, attempting to pop them. There was a few like this, one with Kurt in a rather spectacular mid-jump. The next two were the boys sitting on the bed, trading Pokémon cards. The last batch was of them running (or in Artie's case wheeling) up and down the hallway, racing each other. He smiled at the sight of Kurt Hummel; hair mussed up, shirt half untucked, and face bright red from exertion.

He shuffled through the rest of the pictures, but there weren't any more of him and Kurt. He figured that his mother must have been secretly taking pictures of them the entire time, which he was thankful for. It was one of those weird coincidences that he heard about, but never thought would actually happen to him. He managed to sort out all the doubles of the pictures of the boys, and then put the rest back into the box, which was placed back on the bookshelf. He hoisted himself back into his chair and headed back towards his room.

Once he was up there, he sorted the pictures into two piles, one which he placed by his computer, the other which he slipped into his backpack. He then picked up his cell phone and sent a text to Kurt.

_Hey, meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning. I've got something to show you._

An affirmative text was sent a few minutes later with an inquiry as to what it was. Artie simply texted back, _It's a surprise,_ before putting his phone down and setting off in search of his iPod again.

_McKinley High School – Lima, Ohio – September 15, 2010_

Artie rolled into school the next day, looking around for Kurt. He spotted him leaning against a wall, texting someone, most likely Mercedes.

"Hey," he called out as he approached Kurt.

"Why hello," Kurt replied, slipping his phone in his pocket as he stood up, turning his attention to Artie. "What is this mysterious thing you want to show me?"

"Well," Artie began. "You were in the hospital a lot when your mom had cancer, right?" Kurt's eyes narrowed in slight confusion as he nodded slowly. He hadn't ever talked in much depth about his mother to Artie; the other boy knew the circumstances, but Mercedes and now Finn were the only ones who knew the details.

"Do you remember visiting anyone else?" Artie continued. Now Kurt really had no idea what he was talking about. Who else did he know that was in the hospital at the same time as his mother? He shook his head in response to Artie's question.

"Okay then," Artie replied, trying to think of something else. "Do you remember sneaking a rabbit into the hospital?"

At that, Kurt's jaw dropped in complete shock. He had never told anyone that before – honestly he had almost forgotten about it himself.

"How on earth did you know that?" he managed to say. Artie grinned up at him, and pulled a stack of pictures out of his backpack. He handed them up to Kurt and sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Kurt looked through the pictures, his disbelief growing with each one. He _remembered_ doing this; the rabbit, the bubbles, everything. The boy that he had made friends with so long ago, that was Artie of all people. He paused on the last one, him and Artie racing down the hall, both of their faces lit up with excitement and happiness. Those two emotions had been very hard to come by in the hospital, and Kurt remembered feeling grateful that he had found a friend who helped him actually enjoy his time there – for the most part at least.

He glanced back at Artie, opened his mouth to say something then closed it again, not sure exactly what he was going to say. Artie sensed his confusion, and decided to explain.

"I came across those pictures last night, and I guess my mom is some kind of picture-taking ninja. I realized that it was you, so I decided to show you. Small world, huh?"

"Um, yeah," Kurt finally said, looking back down at the pictures, still in shock. Artie had already had plenty of time to process the new information, but he was still in a state of disbelief. "Do you have copies of these by chance?" he asked.

"Those are the copies," Artie replied. "You can keep them."

"Thanks," Kurt replied, still slightly in shock. "Sorry, this is just taking me a while to process."

"That's all right," Artie replied cheerfully. "You have all day to mull it over." He laughed when Kurt groaned, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to pay attention in any of his classes now that he had this to think about. Just then, the bell rang, signaling that they needed to head off to their first hour classes.

_McKinley High School Cafeteria – Lima, Ohio – September 15, 2010_

Artie and Tina had just settled down at their regular lunch table, when Mercedes came flying over. She dropped her lunch onto the table, sat down, looked Artie straight in the eye, and without preamble said,

"Oh. My. God."

"You've seen them, I presume," he replied lightly, opening his lunch bag to pull out his sandwich.

"Um, duh," she replied. "Okay, you two are about seventeen different types of adorable. And it's good to know that you've both been dorks your entire life." Artie grinned at that as Tina spoke up.

"What on earth are you guys talking about?"

"You haven't shown her yet?" Mercedes asked incredulously.

"Kurt has them! I left the other copies at home so they'd be safe from slushies and crap like that," Artie protested.

"Show me what?" Tina inquired, completely confused at this point.

"You have to see it to understand," Mercedes replied. "So what, you guys have known each other for years? And you never told us?"

Artie sighed. "We knew each other for less than two weeks, and we didn't see each other again until last year. Neither of us remembered the other, but I found those pictures yesterday and realized that it was him."

Mercedes seemed to accept this, and leaned back to start eating her own lunch. Tina was staring between the two, still not comprehending what was going on. Just then, Kurt showed up with his lunch tray. He hadn't even gotten a chance to sit down before Mercedes stretched her arm out towards him, begging to see the pictures again. Kurt rolled his eyes as he pulled them out of his bag and handed them to her.

"I wanna see!" Tina interrupted, banging both fists on the table. The other three looked at her in surprise at her rather loud and uncharacteristic outburst.

"What?" she replied looking around at them. "I want to see what everyone's talking about." Mercedes handed the pictures over to her, and Tina took them with excitement. Not a minute had gone by before she was squealing and practically cooing over the pictures.

"Oh, you guys are sooo cute!" she exclaimed. "So wait, how did this happen?"

"I was in the hospital because of the car accident at the same that Kurt was there because of his mother, we met and became friends, and I just found these pictures and realized who he was, can I eat now?" Artie replied slightly exasperatedly.

"Aren't they just adorable?" Mercedes cooed.

"Oh, yes totally," Tina replied enthusiastically. "They're like little miniature Artie and Kurts!" The two boys glanced at each other across the table and rolled their eyes at each other.

_McKinley High School Choir Room – Lima, Ohio – September 15, 2010_

By the time of Glee, Mercedes and Tina had managed to tell everyone, and the two boys were bombarded with questions, most from the girls who had spent a great deal of time telling them how cute they looked when they were little.

"So we're not cute now?" Artie had asked exasperatedly.

"Not as cute as you were then," Brittany replied. "Little kids are always cuter than bigger kids." Artie had rolled his eyes (when she wasn't looking of course) and exchanged glances with Kurt. Both of them had been retelling the story all day long, and both were wishing that they hadn't brought it up at school. Luckily Mr. Schuester came in at that point, and everyone was distracted with the discussion of Sectionals.

After Glee was done, everyone trickled out slowly, heading either to sports practices or home. Artie and Kurt made their way down the hall together.

"What a crazy day, huh?" Artie commented. Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You could say that again. They're acting like we're long lost twins or something." Artie chuckled then thought about it.

"That would be so awesome!" he exclaimed. Kurt just shook his head at his friend.

"Can I say something?" he ventured.

"Yeah sure," Artie replied glancing up at him.

"Thank you," Kurt said.

"Um…you're welcome?" Artie replied. "I have copies of the pictures and I figured you might want them –"

"Not that," Kurt interrupted. "But thanks for those too. Thanks for…you know, being a friend to me. Back then. Well and now too. You know, most guys just avoid me and back then it was really nice to just have someone to talk to and hang out with. And it was a nice distraction from what was going on. If I kept thinking about what was going on, I would have been so depressed all the time. And…wow I think this word vomit thing of yours is contagious." He chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

Artie just grinned up at him though. "Well then, thank you for being my friend too. You were one of the only people who didn't make a big deal out of the chair or my legs. And everything you said about having someone to distract you, well that's true for me too. Also, thanks for not poking my legs and asking if I could feel it. That got really annoying after awhile."

"I kind of always wanted to," Kurt confessed drawing a laugh from the other boy. "But I figured that you wouldn't like that." Both of the boys laughed at that and lapsed into a content silence as they continued down the hallway together.

"Do you need a ride?" Kurt offered once they reached the front lobby.

"Yeah, sure," Artie said gratefully.

_Abrams Household – Lima, Ohio – September 15, 2010_

That night, after supper, Artie hooked up the scanner to his laptop and scanned the pictures onto his computer. With a grin, he uploaded them to Facebook and tagged Kurt and himself in them. Within minutes, a couple of girls from Glee that were online were commenting, most of them along the lines of,

"Aww so sweet!"

"You guys are so cute!"

"These are adorable!"

However, Quinn was the one who finally asked,

"What exactly is up with the rabbit?"

* * *

_Tada! They finally realize it was each other! I'm sad that this story is almost over though, with only an epilogue left. That was part of the reason this chapter took awhile to get out. I didn't want it to end! Your reviews and feedback are welcome as always and much appreciated!_


	8. Epilogue

_Lima, Ohio – December 8, 2011_

A little over a year had passed since Artie discovered the photos and made the realization that Kurt was the boy who he had met in the hospital so many years ago. The boys, already good friends due to Glee, had grown even closer over the year, depending on each other and sharing experiences. They had done some analyzing, and finally came to the conclusion that they had met on the eighth of that month; almost halfway between the accident and the death of Kurt's mom. And despite the frigid weather that day, they headed out on a mission. It was a Thursday, so it had to wait until after school and Glee club, and it was already getting dark out but the boys were determined. Instead of going home, Artie got into Kurt's Navigator and they headed off.

Out of respect for their son, Artie's parents had avoided the intersection where the accident had occurred and since Artie didn't really know anyone in that part of town, he didn't have to normally be anywhere near it. However, he decided that it had been long enough, and he and Kurt were going to drive through it. As they waited for the light to turn green, Artie stared around out at the surrounding area. The shops that had been on the corners ten years ago were still, and nothing looked much different from what he could remember. As the light turned green and Kurt pressed his foot on the accelerator, Artie tensed automatically as they started moving. They passed through without incident though, and for the first time it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He would always be more cautious than usual in any intersection but he had finally proven to himself that this one wasn't evil; it had just been bad luck.

They continued on in silence, the only noise being a Christmas song playing quietly on the radio. They were heading towards the cemetery where Kurt's mother was buried. He would be coming up there on the actual date of her death with his dad, but the boys had decided to stop there as well. Kurt had been strangely relieved that at least one of his friends had met his mother. Everyone knew his dad seeing as how it was such a small town and it was the best car shop around. No one knew Karen Hummel though, and he was glad that someone knew her, albeit as brief as it was.

They slowly pulled into the drive that led into the cemetery, the path still covered in the snow that had fallen the night before. Kurt eased the car over to the side near where his mother's grave was and set to helping Artie get out of the car and into his chair. The other boy had insisted coming along, saying that he didn't care if his feet and ankles got wet because he couldn't feel them anyways. Kurt was going to say something about frostbite, but decided that he would appreciate the company.

The boys struggled through the snow, Kurt pushing and Artie helping as much as he could. Soon enough though, they reached the tombstone that marked where Karen Hummel lay. Kurt gently brushed the snow aside to reveal the words: _Karen Hummel. Jan 7, 1965 – Dec 18, 2001. Beloved daughter, sister, wife, and mother. _

The boys sat in a calm silence for a few minutes, before Kurt spoke up.

"Mom," he began, trying to keep his emotions hidden for the time being. "I came by to say hi again. I know that I'm going to be back here soon again with Dad, but this is a little different." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"You remember Artie right? I brought him up to see you that one day. He's the one I was hanging out with all the time when we were at the hospital. After…after you died I didn't get to see him again for awhile. I didn't know how to contact him and you know Dad. He's terrible at getting information and stuff like that." Kurt gave a watery chuckle. "We met again because of Glee club. You remember me telling you about that right? I've made so many great friends there."

"I guess I just wanted to let you know this. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because you actually met him. I always have wanted you to meet my friends. You'd love Mercedes and you'd think Brittany is adorable. I guess you've met Puck before, because you yelled at him that time on the playground when you came to pick me up, and he threw a ball at me. We're actually kind of friends now, which is so weird." Kurt took another deep breath which came out shaky this time. Artie reached up and patted his arm comfortingly. "I guess I just wanted you to know…that I'm happy now. Life's not perfect, but when is it ever? I know you've told me to never change, to be true to who I am. Well I've done that for sure. Got a bunch of slushy facials and dumpster tossings for it. But it has made me stronger as a person, and I wanted to thank you for that." After this, Kurt had to bow his head to hide his tears. He knew Artie, of all people, wouldn't judge him, but he was so used to hiding from other people.

Artie's voice startled him out of his thoughts. He was now talking to his mother, something Kurt hadn't expected at all.

"Mrs. Hummel," he began quietly. "I know I only met you once, but I could tell I liked you. You were the only person in that entire hospital that didn't give me some sad, pitying look. You treated me normally which is more than most people do even now. I don't know what you told Kurt or how you brought him up, but whatever you did, it made him incredibly stubborn." Out of the corner of his eye, Artie could see a small smile tugging at the corner of Kurt's mouth. "I'm incredibly blessed to have someone like him as my friend. Someone who gets what it's like to be different and has to deal with the same things. Even though he does make fun of my clothes sometimes," he added almost as an afterthought. "He is always a great friend though." Having said his bit, Artie settled back in his chair and lapsed into silence.

After a few minutes, Kurt managed to get himself gathered back together and without a word they made the struggle back to the car. Once they were situated, Kurt made sure to turn the heat on and direct it at their feet so Artie's would be able to dry quicker. As they headed back in the direction of Artie's house, Kurt turned to him and said,

"Thanks again Artie. For everything." Artie gave him a smile and replied,

"No problem. Thank you too."

* * *

_And it's done! Wow that was an incredible ride. My first multi-chaptered story with an actual plot! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those of you who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. It means so much to me. I've really enjoyed writing these two and exploring their friendship. Now, a couple of people mentioned a sequel. I don't think I'm going to write an actual story, but if you had ideas for situations or something that you'd like to see, I'm considering doing a collection of one-shots surrounding their friendship. (Ex. the boys tell their parents about finding out about the other.) If you have ideas of things you'd like to see, leave a comment and I'll try to include it. Thank you again for so much support and for reading._

_-Stephanie_


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